Andrea Rosebrock 
This is Joey, an adorable little 4-month-old, 26-lb pitbull puppy rescued from a Marysville, CA shelter. Dawn Capp, who runs The Chako Rescue Association for the American Pit Bull Terrier has been fostering this little cutie since he was just four weeks old and was thrilled when a Tennessee woman, Libby Sherrill, visited Joey, fell in love with him and decided she wanted to share her home and live with him.
All was well until Sherrill tried to take her new furry family member home. Continental Airline refused to allow her to take him due to a ban on flying pitbulls. Actually they will but only puppies and they much be under 6-month-old and weigh less than 20-lbs. Other than that, pitbulls are banned from flying Continental Airlines, a ban that had been in pace for years.
Their website says:
Continental Airlines will accept American Pit Bull Terrier puppies which are between 8 weeks and 6 months of age provided they do not weigh more than 20 lb (9 kg). All American Pit Bull Terriers more than 6 months old or weighing more than 20lb (9 kg) will be refused. Crossbreeds with American Pit Bull Terriers are also excluded from this embargo. This embargo is due to the danger presented to our aircraft and our customers.
“I think Continental’s restriction is ridiculous,” said Capp. “They will fly a 90-pound German Shepherd. They’ll fly a Rottweiler. They’ll fly just about every breed of dog but not a 4-month old pit bull puppy. I can’t imagine what a pit bull puppy would do that a 90-pound German Shepherd wouldn’t do.”
“I honestly don’t see how this is a safety issue,” she said. “He doesn’t have adult teeth yet. He still has his puppy teeth. What they’re doing is discriminating against a breed of dog.”
Now it’s time to get the word out to all pitbull and dog lovers to stay away from Continental. They are the only airline that flies pets which has enacted this type of restriction. Don’t pitbull have enough obstacles in their way without airlines discriminating against them now? More BSL BS!!
As for Joey, he had to be booked on a flight on American Airlines and a cost of about $275, a significant increase since the owner is flying too, to fly to his new home and Sherrill had to go home without her new baby and wait a few days to be reunited with Joey.
This story still has a wonderfully happy ending for one rescued puppy but let’s make sure it’s not so happy for Continental Airlines! Help to get the word out about their pitbull ban and let’s show them how we feel.
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You can contact Continental at – 800.WE.CARE2 (800.932.2732) – love this number!
Here’s some additional contact info that is set-up to get in touch for questions or feedback regarding pets/animals traveling as cargo;
Phone
800.575.3335
281.553.5052
E-mail
petsafe@coair.com
Web contact form
Postal Mail
Continental Cargo Service Center
Attention Animal Desk
553 North Park Central Dr., Suite 100
Houston, TX 77070
Have her contact Pilots N Paws. She could pay them instead of continental. Here is the link if you can get it to her
http://pilotsnpaws.org/
Thanks Deb. Great organization! I’d happily pass this along but she was supposed to fly Joey out this past week. Will try to contact her anyway for future reference for transports.
D.
How utterly rediculeous : (
my letter to them:
There is no place in this society for discrimination. Your banning a 4 month old pit bill is totally ridiculous, not to mention over re actionist. Come on the hype that has been put on the freed is totally ridiculous to say the least. I mean come on this is no more than a baby, what was he going to do, eat your airplane, I mean really.
This breed of dog is no different than any other dog. They do what they are trained or forced to do and its high time that people stop being so totally stupid and insensitive about these dogs, for peat sakes.
And for your edification I have been bitten by a dog on my face, and do you know that dog was friendly until it got around its owner. What does that tell you? It’s not the dog, it’s the people. Anyway one incident did not mean that I should go off the deep end and condemn the whole breed. Just – its owner. Put the blame where the blame belongs and not on the innocent participants.
Anyway if a company can foster such unrealistic rules, I know I wouldn’t want to place me or my families safety and well being in their hands.
So I ‘m not going to be using your airline at all.
You all have a good day and you might want to go over those restrictions, I’m not the only one out here that feels like this. Thank you for your time.
This discrimination towards pit bulls has to stop. To not let a little pup fly home with its new pet parent is horrendous. I will send an email out tomorrow. I used to like Continental, but I will not fly them anymore.
Stick with pilots n paws. They don’t give a hoot what breed the dogs are. They welcome them all.
Here is the letter I just sent:
I have been flying with Continental Airlines for more than 4 years already and due to the frequency and length of my flights, I became an ‘Elite Member’. In summary, I have been given this company several thousands of dollars in the past years.
I am writing because I just found out that you are not allowing pitbulls who weigh more than 20 lbs or are more than 6 months old giving the fact that older or bigger pitbulls will put your costumers and/or the aircraft in danger. I must say that this vague excuse is completely ridiculous, considering that your company’s decision is based on the myth that pitbulls are evils. I am quite sure that the person who signed that policy has never been close to a dog.
Owners are the ones who have pitbulls’ ears and tail docked, have them wear spike collars and who involve them in the cruelest and irrational act of dogfighting. Dogs are not aggressive by nature, they have been domesticated for more than five thousand years and are truly companions, no matter the breed.
I ask you to please eliminate this policy that only brings more fear to public and feeds the unfounded myth. I only expect from Continental Airlines to be more progressive and ethical about the policies they make.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Very respectfully,
What if he was 21 LBS and 6 months and 1 day , what a joke
Yup, Silvana, me too. I business travel and use Continental exclusively. They’re going to get a letter from me too.
And what they should do, is allow travlers with gobs of unused miles to donate them to animals flying as part of a rescue efforts.
I say, stick with Pilots N Paws! Wow…with the economy they way it is now, and so many airlines collapsing these days, I would think these idiots would change that policy! After this, maybe they will. But, then agian, I’m still not sure I would trust an airlines afraid of a pitty pup (or ANY “lick you to death” pitty) to fly my dog anywhere, no matter what the breed!